Sir Phillip Sydney Jones [1836-1918] was the son of retailer David Jones. He was born in Sydney, hence the inclusion of his birthplace as his middle name. Incidentally, all David Jones’s children were given distinctive middle names eg Sydney Jones, Lloyd Jones, Mander Jones, but they are not doubled barreled surnames, which is often assumed. Phillip Sydney Jones was educated at the University College London. He returned to Sydney in 1861 and commenced his practice in College St Sydney. He was appointed honorary surgeon to the Sydney Hospital and Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, also acting as an examiner in medicine at the University of Sydney. He was particularly noted for his work with tuberculosis, establishing the Queen Victoria Homes for Consumptives at King’s Tableland in Wentworth Falls and a similar home in Thirlmere. He was knighted for his work in 1905. He served on several Royal Commissions and was President of the NSW Medical Board. He served as vice-chancellor of Sydney University [1904-1906].

Sir Phillip Sydney Jones was considered the most eminent of Strathfield’s early residents, building ‘Llandilo’ The Boulevarde Strathfield [c.1878]. He advocated improving public health measures by establishing homes in open and clean air environments away from overcrowded cities, believing this caused the spread infectious and deadly diseases such as consumption. He was the first physician to establish residence in the suburbs outside of Sydney city. In Oasis in the West [1985], Michael Jones states that Dr Phillip Sydney Jones ‘helped make Strathfield respectable for professional men rather than just an area in which newly wealthy merchants and real estate agents could flaunt their wealth’. Other members of the Jones family, including his brother-in-law stockbroker Thomas Thompson, who lived on the adjoining ‘Malvern’ estate on The Boulevarde moved to Strathfield. Many members of the Jones family lived in Strathfield until the 1930’s. Though of frail health, Phillip Sydney Jones lived until the age of 82 and died in 1918 at ‘Llandilo’.

The Jones family were devout members of the Congregational Church. David Jones was a foundation member of the Camden Congregational College at Newtown and Phillip Sydney Jones also served on the College Council. Phillip Sydney Jones was a deeply religious man, marrying the daughter of the Rev. George Charter. The Rev. George Littlemore immigrated to Australia from England and was appointed minister of the Burwood Congregational Church, of which the Jones family were members. After a split in the Burwood Congregation, Jones and his brother-in-law stockbroker Thomas James Thompson [1830-1917] partly financed the building of a new Congregational Church in Strathfield on the corner of Morwick St and The Boulevarde Strathfield. The Church was designed in 1889 in an honorary capacity by George Sydney Jones and his cousin architect Harry Thompson on corner of Morwick St and The Boulevarde Strathfield. The Trinity Congregational Church was gazetted on the State Heritage Register in 2003.

In the manuscript of the Thompson Story [1962], Margaret Hay describes the split in the Burwood Congregational Church and establishment of the Trinity Congregational Church in Strathfield:

‘It was early in 1889 that Thomas James’ son Harry, now a fully fledged architect collaborated with George Sydney Jones, both honorary architects to design the beautiful little two-coloured brick Trinity Congregational Church at Strathfield. Its building was the result of a split among the worshippers at the Burwood Congregational Church. Harold [Thompson] in a letter mentioned ‘the greatest excitement in our circle now is the unfortunate row at Burwood Church – half the members want to get the parson to resign but the other are determined he shall not leave.’

Eventually the Rev. George Littlemore much beloved by at least half the congregation left Burwood to become the minister at the new Church.

Further information on the establishment of the Trinity Congregational Church is detailed in SDHS Newsletter January 1987 taken from the Congregational Year Book of 1977:

‘Trinity Church arose from a division of theological opinion within the Burwood Congregational Church. On Sunday May 5 1889 a number of church members, together with the Rev. George Littlemore, Burwood’s former pastor, met for worship in the Burwood School of Arts and subsequently 48 persons enrolled as members of what is now known as Trinity Church. Development occurred rapidly with the purchase of a block of land on the corner of The Boulevarde and Morwick Street. The foundation stone of the present building was laid on November 2 1889 and the Church was dedicated on January 26 1890, the preachers being Rev. George Littlemore and the Principal of Camden College, the Rev. J G Frazer. Rev. Littlemore ministered to Trinity Church members and children for 34 years. He combined great learning with, for that time, advanced theological ideas and marked power to convey the Christian message. The fellowship had 77 members by the mid-1890’s and several vigorous organisations were established, including a Sunday school, Foreign Missions and Hospital Visitation groups and Dorcas Society.’

Conrad Hamann provides a description of the Trinity Church in Architecture Australia [1979]:

‘The small cottage-like scale of the church [though in fact it is a moderately large building] links it to the arts and crafts churches then appearing in England. Jones placed an arcaded veranda across the west front, thus acknowledging Australia’s climate. Jones used polychrome brick to outline particular elements, such as arches. This gave the church a link with traditional ‘cottage’ vernacular. Jones grouped the three west windows under a keel moulding, which rises to the gable in a way that resembles the churches of Wilson or J D Sedding in England.’

Members of the Jones family, who are related to the Strathfield Thompson, Wilshire, Weekes, Ross and Nott families, comprise the majority of church members on the Foundation list of the Trinity Congregational Church in April 1890. Another name of note appearing on this list is James Inglis, founder of ‘Billy Tea’. Inglis lived at ‘Crago’ on The Boulevarde and was a member of the NSW Parliament. Edward Lloyd Jones, brother of Phillip Sydney Jones and Chairman of David Jones & Co, was also a member of the Trinity Congregational Church. He was among the twelve fatalities in a horrific rail accident at Redfern 1894, when a train from Strathfield to the City was hit head-on with a train bound for Goulburn. This is considered one of Sydney’s worst rail accidents. The funeral was held at Trinity Congregational Church. A copy of the funeral sermon by Rev. Littlemore is held at the National Library of Australia. The contents of this Sermon attest to the close relationship between George Littlemore and the Jones family.

‘Darenth’ is listed as a Heritage Item on Strathfield Council Local Environmental Plan and as an indicative place on the Register of National Estate. It has been classified by the National Trust and is an item on the Royal Australian Institute of Architects [RAIA] List of Significant Twentieth Century Buildings. An description of its heritage significance appears on the Register of the National Estate, with bibliography citing Fox & Associates, Strathfield Heritage Study, 1986.

‘Darenth’ is a single storey house of face brick in stretcher bond, tuck pointed and colour washed. The roof of unglazed Marseille tiles is broken into a number of hipped and gabled forms, and there is a prominent corner tower with a tall pyramidal roof of flat terra cotta shingles. The front verandah has turned timber posts and timber brackets. The architectural style is mainly Federation period Arts and Crafts style, shown in features such as the long runs of roof and exposed eaves; the use of timber shingles for fascias and over the entrance porch; the variety of window shapes including bulls eye and horseshoe; and the tones of face brick and tiles using decorative moulded bricks for string courses and hood moulds. At the same time there are a number of unconventional features including the split level plan, banded brick chimneys and curious corner brick buttresses which extend above the eaves line to form square topped pilasters, a typical Federation Freestyle motif. There are unsympathetic modern openings in the front wall. A mature front garden conceals the house from the street. There is a brick and timber picket front fence. The rear garden has been altered to accommodate and elevated patio and swimming pool.

References
 

Fox & Associates, Strathfield Heritage Study, Strathfield Council, 1986.
 

Garrett, John, ‘Sir Phillip Sydney Jones’, Australian Dictionary of Biography 1851-1890 Vol.4, Douglas
 

Pike [ed], Melbourne University Press, 1972.
 

Hannan, Conrad, ‘Forgotten Reformer: the architecture of George Sydney Jones 1865-1927’, Architecture Australia, Oct/Nov, page 40, 1979
 

Hay, M Dalrymple, The Thompson Story, 1962 [unpublished manuscript National Library of Australia].
 

Jones, Michael, Oasis in the West, Allen & Unwin, 1985
 

Kemp, C ‘Architects of Flat-roofed houses in the early 20th century Sydney’, Essay for Master of the Built Environment [Conservation], UNSW, 1994.
 

Kennedy, Reg, ‘Trinity [Congregational] Church Strathfield’, Strathfield District Historical Society Newsletter, Vol.9 No.5, January 1987.
 

Littlemore, George, In Memoriam Edward Lloyd Jones and Harry Berry, S T Leigh & Co Printers Sydney,1894.
 

Pearce, Ken, Australian Railway Disasters, IPL Books Australia, 1994.
 

‘Sir Phillip Sydney Jones Dead – Useful Medical Career Ended’, Daily Telegraph, 19 September 1918, Sydney.

Strathfield Municipal Council rates and valuations records.
 

‘Thomas James Thompson’, Sydney Stockbrokers, p371-373.